An Academy Meant For Fairies
by Mayhem666
Summary: The Magic Council has grown tired of Fairy Tail's antics, so after seven long years, they conjure the perfect plan to set Magnolia's wizards straight. Please R&R! C:
1. In The Beginning

For those who have read this story on my other account, you'll probably notice the changes I've made to it. I also apologize for how slow I'm being. The story, plot and timing are all the same, I just made it a little clearer to read. I hope you enjoy, and constructive criticism is always appreciated! C:

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Fairy Tail, I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction, would I?

( -_- )(*w*)

Dull light leaked from the ruffled underneath of a curtain and pooled into the darkness. The soft shuffling of sheets filled the stagnant air as the celestial mage tossed and turned restlessly, finding sleep to be an impossible task. Outside, somber clouds rested above the city of Magnolia, threatening to fall from the sky.

Groaning with defeat, Lucy tore the blanket from her body and wearily pulled herself out of bed. Today was the beginning of a downward spiral to hell for the mages of Fairy Tail, and no amount of magic could stop it. With the S Class Promotion festivities finally over, the Magic Council decided that now was to time to take action against Fairy Tail's antics. After multiple conferences, they concluded that disbanding the guild entirely would do more damage than help, since they had prevented Fiore from being overrun by dark guilds on multiple occasions. It occurred to them that making them pay fines was just a waste of paper, and forcing them to assign a more responsible master was technically illegal, and no such person probably existed within the guild. They were left with only one option, and although it was a stretch, it was the only hope they had and they'd be damned if it didn't work.

The blonde hastily strode across cold floor, stopping just before her door. Neatly hanging on the doorknob was an outfit, its clean folds and fresh scent mocking her. Once the garments replaced her wrinkled pajamas, she hesitantly glanced over at her vanity to observe what damage remained on her body. In celebration of their last day of freedom, the guild threw a party, which meant: getting drunk, socializing with friends, getting smashed, having your ass kicked, vomiting due to alcohol poisoning, and ending up so shit-faced you couldn't stand up.

Her reflection reveled a tangled mess of hair so dreadful she could hear Cancer crying in the spirit world. Her lips were still swollen from all the alcohol, which also blessed her with a hangover that felt as though it were gnawing at her- currently not very well functioning- brain. Bruises decorated her skin from being used as a landing pad for an intoxicated Elfman; the idiot was immediately knocked out by Gray and Natsu for disturbing their brawl with a manly speech.

She shrugged and turned away from the mirror, deciding not to dwell on something that happened on almost a daily basis.

As she rummaged her drawers for her keys, Lucy's mind drifted back to the day when the Council appeared at the Guild's main entrance. Only a few short days had passed since Natsu and the rest of the guild returned from Tenrou Island, and all they wanted to do was relax for once. The thought of seven years slipping through their fingers had yet to sink in as Master Makarov gathered all of the members into the guild hall. No one knew what to expect from the Council, but something told them this wasn't going to be a regular friendly reunion.

( -_- )(*w*)

_The guild watched skeptically as a tall, slender man stalked across the stage. He stood there in silence for a few moments and glanced uncomfortably at the papers in front of him; as if he were unsure of what to say. He looked up from the podium to see everyone staring intently at him, yet not one of them appeared to recognize him. He couldn't blame them, seeing how they disappeared into nothingness as he continued to live on for the next seven years. Shaking his head, he realized that it was better if no one remembered him, having him as a constant reminder of all the time they've missed would be too much. "We've all been through a lot, these seven years," He spoke slowly, his throat dry from anxiety. "From the return of Zeref, and the fall of the dark guild Grimiore Heart, to the temporary loss some of Fairy Tail's own members," The crowd was hush as he spoke of these events, everyone still finding things hard to believe. "However, that's not what we're here to discuss."_

_ The tense atmosphere seemed to shift slightly as the Council member shuffled through his papers, looking for the correct one. "This Guild has been the most problematic we've ever dealt with. We receive, on average, forty complaints a week- That's more than we'd expect in a year from any other guild." Some laughs could be heard around the Guild Hall as the man began listing some of the complaints the Council had on record. "We've tried cooperating with you and have been lenient in the past,"_

_ "Lenient, huh," Natsu growled, remembering when they took Erza to trial. Even if it was just a formality, the entire predicament was completely unnecessary._

_He pulled out a light pen as he continued, florescent lettering beginning to form. "There's one final option left before we take more drastic measures…"_

_ "I never knew sending someone to brainwash us and manipulate our guild's affairs wasn't drastic." Lucy muttered back to her partner._

_ Once he finished writing, everyone stared in awe. In bold, glowing letters, the words 'Fairy Tail Academy' floated in the air. "We're giving you one last chance, Fairy Tail. Every member in this guild is required to take one year off from any major missions and attend school to learn how to properly use your magic."_

_ Shouts of protest instantly began to fill the guild hall, no one seeming to agree with this situation. "There's not even a school in Magnolia! The closet one is in Harujion." Gray pointed out, seeming too upset to notice his lack of pants._

_ "How the hell are we supposed to make money?" Gajeel questioned, quite obviously pissed that they would even suggest such a ridiculous idea._

_ "That's enough." Makarov roared, his size growing with his frustration. Everyone silenced, none of them wanting to go through 'the punishment' for disobeying the Master. "The Council is doing this for the sake of Fiore, for the guild. Think of this not as a requirement, but an opportunity to make ourselves stronger- to make our guild more united. We will show all those other guilds out there that WE are number one and WE are not to be trifled with." Makarov pointed with his left hand in the air, "This is our path, not only as a Guild, but as a family. One year's worth of education isn't going to kill any of you." He smiled, shrinking back to his natural size._

_ "Um, sir," The Council member motioned for the guild master. Makarov peered up at the man beside him to hear out what he had to say. "You'll also… be attending the Academy." The Wizard Saint's face drained of any color. "As for your comments," He turned back to everyone, ignoring the fact that the Master was now sobbing like an infant next to him. "As soon as we got word of your return, we began building the Academy just outside of town. Classes will be from six in the morning, to one in the afternoon, leaving you time to do simple missions in order for you to support yourselves. Saturday and Sunday will be your days off and vacation times will be given during holidays and festivals." A grin painted onto the man's face as he concluded his speech. "For those who refuse to attend this wonderful opportunity, you will receive special tutoring, courtesy of Master Bob."_

_ The mages all sat quietly. Just the thought of being stuck with Master Bob, the cross-dressing, man-whore leader of Blue Pegasus, was enough to put them in their place. As the meeting was dismissed, everyone sat in utter silence, taking in what they had just been told._

( -_- )(*w*)

Finally finding her keys, Lucy let out another drawn-out sigh and closed the door behind her. _Maybe going to school will be a little fun. _The blonde thought as she walked down Strawberry Street. She had never attended a school, since her caretakers had always tutored her.

The stellar mage balanced along the river wall, waving off the fishermen's comments when they warned her to be careful. As she did so, something cold and wet hit her forehead. She glanced up, seeing the rain beginning to steadily fall from the sky. Picking up her pace, she headed for the Academy, which was residing on the opposite side of Magnolia. "Just great, Lucy. Fucking great." She cursed as the rain became heavier.

( -_- )(*w*)

I apologize if this chapter wasn't exactly the most interesting, but I figured I'd get most of the boring stuff out of the way. For anyone who's already caught up on my old account, I'll get through these next couple chapters quickly so I can finally get this story moving! Please leave a review letting me know what you think. C:

-Siearah


	2. The First Day

**Disclaimer: **We all wish we owned Fairy Tail, but alas, it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

( -_- )(*w*)

The mage's pace gradually came to a halt as a sizable building became visible through heavy sheets of rain. Squinting to be sure this wasn't just a drunken hallucination; she noticed the Fairy Tail symbol encrusted upon the castle-like structure. The Academy loomed over the outskirts of Magnolia; casting eerie darkness upon its surroundings. _They really went overboard... _The blonde scoffed.

As she approached the building, anxiety began to build up and her breakfast begged to make an appearance. Lucy pressed her hands against the front door, slowly pushing it open.

Despite the horrid weather, inside, everything was bustling with energy as countless mages gathered together for their studies. The thoughts of her drenched clothes clinging to her skin left her mind as the corners of her lips curved up into a fascination. She began to roam the halls, noticing the vibrantly glowing lacrima chandleries hanging proudly on the ceiling and decorative tiles paving the floors. She reached the front office and admired the Fairy Tail seal printed onto the wall in brilliant colors.

"Beautiful," She exhaled. As she continued her journey, something caught the stellar mage's interest. Curiosity consumed the teen as she approached a maze of strange filing cabinets. Cautious fingers gently glided against the vent of a locker, wondering what their purpose was. Too entranced by her new surroundings, Lucy paid no mind to the shouts telling her to watch out, until—

"Damn it, you asshole," A familiar voice roared with irritation. Cocking her head to the side, Lucy couldn't help but notice a rosette haired moron flying in her direction.

Anticipating a violent collision, she covered her eyes and waited for the worst to be over with. By the grace of Mavis, the Salamander plowed into the locker beside her, leaving a dent in the metal. The once rowdy hallway fell silent as the flame eater attempted to regain his composure- not that he had any to begin with. "I'm going to kill you…" The Dragon Slayer pulled himself into a sitting position while grasping his head in his hands. It was difficult to tell if he was faint from the concussion he probably just received or was just hung over like the rest of the guild. Knowing Natsu, he was probably just exhausted from being up before noon.

"Try saying that again, Frying-Pan!" Gray stormed over towards him, and as usual, he looked less than pleased with his teammate.

"What, do you need a hearing aid, Brain-Freeze?" Natsu growled as he stumbled to his feet. Both imbeciles oblivious to the sudden change of atmosphere, they concluded their banter and attacked simultaneously.

_"Ice Make—"_

_ "Fire Dragon's—"_

"It appears our bonds have brought us together yet again," A bold voice bellowed from the end of the hall. Both teens froze mid-attack and turned to face an utterly unimpressed Titania. "Is this how friends behave?"

As if on cue, Gray slung his arm around Natsu's shoulders, forcing a disturbing smile. "W-we wanted to show each other our new moves!"

"Aye!" Natsu shook his head enthusiastically, forgetting how to form a coherent sentence. Erza arched an eyebrow skeptically, making both boys shutter.

Lucy giggled at the scene, almost forgetting they were at school and not back at the guild. "Oh, Erza," She called, gaining the redhead's attention.

The S Class mage approached the blonde with a friendly smile on her face, as if the debacle just now hadn't happened. "Lucy, did you go swimming without me? You're drenched." She pointed out rather bluntly.

"I hope you're being sarcastic," _Even though I can tell you're serious. _"Are there possibly any spare uniforms?" She twisted the bottom of her skirt in an attempt to get rid of some of the water.

"There are a few in the office," She glared back at the others. "Gray, Natsu," They peered up at their superior, still frozen in each other's embrace. Folding her arms disapprovingly, she continued. "Knock it off, or I'll report you to the head master. Do you want that?" They slowly shook their heads, neither of them wanting to say anything and risk upsetting her even more. The redhead turned on her heels, Lucy following closely behind.

"Head master?" Natsu scratched his head in confusion.

"It's the person in charge of the school—"

"I know that, idiot." He snapped, cutting off the ice mage. Just how little did Gray take him for?

"_Sorry, _I wasn't sure of your level of stupidity." Sarcasm poisoned his voice. "You have to admit, though, that those uniforms are pretty nice." He teasingly nudged Natsu's shoulder; forgetting that they were previously trying to murder each other.

He swatted his arm away like a mosquito. "No, the colors are horrible. Red is obviously the better choice."

"What…?" He gawked at the 'man' beside him. "No, you ash-for-brains, the skirts," _Who cares about the color?_

Natsu pondered this for a moment, failing to comprehend what the ice-idiot was getting at. "The girls in our guild wear skirts all the time, it's nothing new." For once, Natsu had a valid point; the ladies of Fairy Tail were never known for being modest dressers. "Hell, I'm so used to it; it's weird to see them covered up completely. Could you imagine Cana wearing a turtleneck?" Natsu sighed, not being able to picture something so abnormal. "I've seen Lucy in less, anyway_._" It's not like he was aware she was changing when he broke in through her bedroom window.He shivered at the painful memory of being 'Luck kicked' in the groin.

"Seriously, you have?" The ice mage gawked at his comrade's casual expression.

"Oh, and you haven't?" He replied with a devious grin. "She must like me better than you." The fire dragon slayer flinched. _Wow that felt weird to say._

"You're obviously bluffing." There was no way this air head was more popular than him; at least, he hoped so.

"Why would I bluff about something that's not a big deal? Don't most guys see a girl in their underwear at this age?" His voice was serious.

Gray didn't know which was more concerning; the fact that Natsu actually had a point, or that the flame-retard theoretically experienced more action than him. "Seriously though, you don't have any opinion on the skirts? And you call yourself a man." He mimicked Elfman to divert the conversation for the sake of his pride.

"I don't see why you're obsessing over them. Is it because you want to wear one?" He laughed half-heartedly at his frenemy. "That's sick, man. Though, you'd probably end up taking it off like you do the rest of your clothes."

"Damn it, that's not true! You're such an ass."

"Rather be an ass than a stripper."

"That nickname is getting old, think of something more creative if you want to piss me off." The Ice Mage smiled; feeling as though he won the fight.

"Fuck you, I'm going to see what class I'm in." He turned to walk down the hall. "Wait, Gray."

"What now?" He groaned with irritation, not that Natsu particularly cared.

"Put your shirt back on; you're disturbing the peace."

The mage glanced down, seeing his top discarded on the floor. "What the hell?"

Natsu slouched as he searched for the assignment board, feeling the urge to go home and sleep for the next week. "This sucks…" He grumbled sourly.

( -_- )(*w*)

"Here," The redhead handed the shivering girl before her a dry uniform.

"Thanks," Lucy sighed as she headed to the bathroom.

Erza rested against the wall as she waited for her companion to change. "Hey Lucy, what class are you in?" She called through the door.

She began to pull on a light blue skirt as she spoke. "I'm not sure, I haven't been able to check yet."

"I wonder if we'll be working together this year." She pondered this for a moment, hearing a grunt of agreement from the next room.

The door creaked open as the Stellar mage walked out pulling a beige vest over her cotton white t-shirt. "The council really went all out with this, didn't they? These uniforms are really nice." She glanced over at her superior. "Why is yours different?" Lucy gestured at the burgundy dress coat replacing the vest that ever other female student wore. Wait, was she wearing glasses?

She smiled devilishly as she peered into her partner's dark eyes. "Because, I am the class president," Pride drenched her voice as she spoke. The Celestial Mage stared in awe; currently unsure of her upperclassmen's sanity.

"O-oh, congratulations," She laughed awkwardly. She looked up at the clock, noticing how much time had passed. "I should probably get going if I'm going to have time to check the class board."

Erza strode to the hallway, motioning for Lucy to follow. "Then I'll go with you. I'm curious who's in my class, as well."

The girls walked quietly, both content with the comfortable atmosphere. Lucy grinned childishly as she observed her surroundings, realizing how similar the academy was to her childhood home. Back before her mother was gone. "Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Erza's words shattered the silence like one of her swords.

She snapped out of her trance- perhaps by a minor heart attack. Lucy pretended to not have just been scared shitless and glanced over at the girl beside her. "What do you mean?"

"This school is different than how I imagined one to be. It's pretty strange, if you ask me_._" She tilted her head to the side. "You haven't been to one either, right?"

Lucy's eyes drifted to the floor, remembering Erza's history. Now that she thought about it, everyone in the guild seemed to have a dark past. "Honestly, I was nervous when the Council told us about the academy."

"We all were," The redhead chuckled with embarrassment. "I didn't get much sleep last night because I had to make sure my uniform re-quip was in perfect condition." She admitted bashfully.

Lucy giggled at her friend's confession. "I had to hide mine and hope Happy wouldn't destroy it. As usual, he did, and I slaved over a sewing machine all day while Natsu constantly whined at me to stop being boring." She shook her head tiredly. She'd yet to understand what sick kind of satisfaction Natsu and his feline friend gained by making her life difficult, but somehow it didn't bother her in the least. If anything, she was grateful to have the duet of morons around. _Wait, what the fuck? Now is not the time to have an intervention in my head. _She slapped her hand on her forehead in an attempt to rid her mind of the thoughts.

"That's just how they show their affection, I suppose."

"I guess," She trailed off, forgetting she was in the middle of a conversation.

"Still, I can't believe anything that's happening right now. After all these years passing by without us knowing it…." Erza added after a few minutes. "It's funny how life throws you a curveball when you think you already know everything."

"That seems to happen a lot with us. We never know what'll happen to us, but," She admired the drops of rain rolling down the sleek glass windows. "We'll always be okay when we're together and be able to put on a smile at the end of the day. We really are just one big family, aren't we?"

"I couldn't have said it better, myself." They continued to walk in silence.

( -_- )(*w*)

Herds of people surrounded a small bulletin board hung on a wall, all of them shoving each other out of the way. Several papers were pinned to the board with all of the guild member's names printed on with their class number beside them. Some people cried with joy when they sought their name, while others cried for less-happy- reasons. "MOVE," Erza growled as she head-butted people out of her path. Finally reaching the front, both girls searched frantically for Lucy's name.

"Um…" The blonde scanned through the hundreds of names. "Aha! It says I'm in room 207." She mumbled, pointing at the bottom of a sheet.

Erza nodded in satisfaction. "It seems we'll be classmates."

She sighed with relief. "Who else is in our class?" She directed her attention back to the board. "Cana, Elfman, Erza, Evergreen, Happy, Levy, me, Makarov, Macau, Natsu…" _That seems about right. Shit, wait._ "Oh no,"

"What is it?" Ezra looked worryingly at her.

"Gray isn't in our class." She pointed at the list where Gray's name should have been. It'll be nice not to have him and Natsu slaughter each other over a pencil, but where's the fun in not having the entire team?

"This is bad," Titania tapped her chin. "We should use force to get him in our group."

"That's a terrible idea…" Lucy waved away the comment.

"W-what is this…?" Someone gagged. They glanced over their shoulders to see a horrified ice mage gawking at the paper with his name on it. "I'm stuck with…" He pointed a shaky finger at the paper next to theirs. "With…"

"Spit it out before I shank you." Erza glared at him.

"Ah, Gray-sama~!" Juvia sprinted to her victim of her stalking. Lucy felt tempted to ask her to make the rain stop, but decided she'd rather live to see the next day. "We'll be together," She fidgeted with embarrassment. "Please, take care of Juvia…" The Water Mage's face flushed with pink when she looked at her crush.

"Christ," He covered his face with his palm. This was too much for Gray, which was saying a lot.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Lucy assured the distraught man.

He shook his head and started to walk off. "I don't think I can look at you right now, Lucy." He had an unusually disturbed tone to his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Juvia thinks it means that you should give up on Gray-sama…"

"Give up on what?" Already, the blonde could tell this day would be a long one.

"Enough small chat, we need to get to class," Erza pulled on her arm and turned to face the rest of the Guild. "You should all do the same, before the Head Master gets angry." Lucy wasn't sure why, but they seemed like they had just seen Acnologia as they scurried away.

"Who _is _the Head Master?" She called to the girl dragging her.

"You don't know?"

Lucy gasped for air as she tried to keep up. "No,"

Erza took a moment to choose her words before she spoke. "The Council needed to find someone who had the free time and power to take on the roll of the head master, so other guild masters weren't a possibility." She tightened her grip on Lucy's wrist.

"Erza…" She trembled, officially freaked out.

"The only other option was to find a high level mage, so they," Erza leaned over to Lucy and whispered secretively.

"What? That's disgusting!" She gaped at the distraught mage beside her.

"That's why, even if it costs us our lives, we can't get in any trouble."

"Right," She felt determination building inside of her.

( -_- )(*w*)

In room 207, all the mages conversed with the other students they'd be with for the next year. Well, other than Makarov. "This is madness." The stout man grunted as he found it difficult to get into his seat. Oh Edolas, he was going to destroy whatever dumbass proposed this idea; he's one of the Ten Wizard Saints for crying out loud! "Damn it, these chairs are huge!" The Master shouted while kicking it across the room; obviously finding any reason he could to complain.

Incidentally, the chair managed to land on Elfman's face while he was in the middle of a lecture about men. "Whoever did that isn't a man!" He picked up the desk and thrust it at Wakaba. Instantly a fight began to brew, as if they were back at the guild getting drunk like they usually did.

"You wanna go?" He stomped on his cigarette.

"Real men use fists, not desks!" Elfman charged at him. The smoke user instantly dodged his attacker; forcing Elfman to run face first into a wall.

"People these days…" Cana pulled out her cards, clearly not amused.

"You're all so annoying. Just shut up and sit down!" Macau barked as he prepared a spell.

"Knock it off." Natsu snapped as he leaned back in his chair. "You're just gonna piss off the Head Master, ya' know?"

"Pretty weird coming from you," Levy mumbled from her book. "Usually you're the one who starts these things."

Everyone glanced over at the bookworm. _She's right. _They turned their attention to the fire mage who was sitting peacefully at his desk. This was new- Natsu didn't want to fight. What next, he'll think summer is too hot?

The door swung open, effectively creating a dent in the wall. "Ah! Lu-chan, Erza," Levy waved over at them.

Natsu raised his head for a moment before looking down at his desk again.

"Natsu…" Happy whispered.

"It's nothing." He replied nonchalantly.

The girls walked over to Levy "Looks like luck is on our side!" Lucy put an arm around her shoulders.

"Nice to see another friendly face," Erza acted as though she knew no one else in the room. "What happened in here?" She put her hands on her hips as she observed the remains of what used to be a classroom. Nobody was expecting to have the Titania in their class, so they hadn't exactly used their best behavior.

"N-nothin'," Elfman scurried to pick up some of the discarded seats. Lucy shook her head and sat down beside the blue-haired mage. She was too tired to deal with this anymore, plus she still had her rent to worry about.

"Alright, everyone, take a seat that _isn't _knocked over." A stocky woman called from the front of the room. She resembled Mirajane- if she gained forty pounds and shrunk a foot. A messy red mane of hair sat on top of her head and stress wrinkles covered her round face. Okay, maybe she didn't look so much like Mira. "Let's get class started." She ordered as everyone obediently returned to their seats. The woman tuned to the chalk board and began to write on it as she spoke to her new class. "My name is Mrs. Mann and I'll be your instructor over this next year-"

"Pfft." Makarov covered his mouth to try to keep from laughing. Lucy buried her face in her arms, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"Is something funny, Mr. Makarov?" Mrs. Mann turned to look at the babbling idiot in the front row. It looks like she got the good class.

"Of course not," Elfman butted in, "There's nothing funny about being a man."

"Excuse me?" She felt her temper reaching her limit and it was only 6:05. Everyone could feel the tension growing in the air.

"Elfman, be quiet. Let the man talk so we can get class started." Erza raised her hand to get her teacher's attention. "Please continue, sir."

"Erza, _she's_ not a man." Lucy mouthed to the girl beside her.

"Oh," She bowed her head to cover her reddening face. "I apologize for my outburst."

Mrs. Mann turned back to the board. "The purpose of this school is to teach you how to properly use your magic," she let out a huff. "But, I refuse to pass anyone who lacks manners, or common sense for that matter. That means, when someone says 'Mrs.', they're a woman." She felt like she was teaching kindergarten, but everyone in the class was the kid who sits in the corner and eats paste. Wonderful, fucking wonderful.

Natsu raised his hand, "I thought it just meant someone was married, whether they're a man or a woman."

"Bahahahahaha!" Makarov lost any control he could possibly have and fell out of his seat. "Who would marry someone with the last name Mann? Does that mean your husband is Mr. Mann?"

"I think that's a wonderful name." Elfman interjected once again. He thought everyone should be named Mann. _Elfman Mann. Elfman the Mann. _He recited his name in his head.

"Ugh, shut up, Elfman. No one cares about your obsession with men." Cana snapped at the talkative bone-head behind her. What she wouldn't do for a beer right now. Scratch that, she'd do anything for a beer; being sober was a drag.

"Shhh, Cana. Maybe he's into guys; leave him be." Macao hushed.

"You bastard—"

"God damn it!" Mrs. Mann yelled at her students. "If you don't stop talking, I'm going to fail you all so you have to take another year of school." They sat patiently as she tried to calm her nerves. "Your first assignment is going to be an essay."

Everyone looked around; unsure of what an 'essay' was. She let out a sigh and explained, "It's when you write about a subject to answer a question that has been provided." She stepped to the side to show what she had written on the board- not like they couldn't see over her. "Each class has their own topic. Our question is; 'What makes a strong team?' You'll being working in groups of two. This is to have you practice working together in a non-combat environment and better your understanding of teamwork."

Lucy hastily threw her hand in the air. "Are we allowed to pick our partners?"

Mrs. Mann smiled slyly. "Perhaps if I wasn't pissed off five minutes into class I would have allowed that. Instead, we'll be using this to choose." She walked over to Makarov and pulled off his hat.

"Hey, wha-" He tried to grab his possession back.

The teacher began ripping names off of the attendance list and folding them up before putting them into Makarov's hat. "Alrighty," She reached into the hat and pulled out two slips. "Cana Alberona and Makarov."

"Wonderful…" The fortune teller grumbled; looks like she'd be doing all the work.

"I heard that." Makarov turned to glare at his underling.

"Macao Combolt and Wakaba Mine."

The two men glared at each other, "As if," They scoffed simultaneously. "Don't copy me, jackass!"

"Moving on," She pulled out a couple more paper slips. "Happy and Elfman."

"Ehhhh?" Happy pouted at Natsu.

"Even a cat can be a man if he tries." No one bothered to tell him to shut up; all their efforts would be in vain.

"Evergreen and Levi Macgarden."

"Sorry, Lu-chan…" She mumbled after hearing her name.

She reached into the bag once again. "Oh, there are only three slips left; Erza Scarlet, Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel will be a trio." She tossed the hat back to Makarov.

"That group sounds a little dangerous…" Evergreen shook her head.

Mrs. Mann began going over the requirements for the project, even though no one was listening. "Lastly, an assembly will be held for all the groups to read their reports out loud this Friday. Anyone who skips out on the assembly or doesn't complete the essay in time will be required to take summer classes." Ah, that got their attention.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Whined the Exceed.

"I'm sorry, but the rules are the rules." She shrugged. "Now, get in your groups and start planning-"

"WAIT!" The door flung off of its hinges as a short figure slid into the room before tripping.

"What the _hell _are you doing?" Mrs. Mann screamed, officially regretting accepting this job. "Oh, Head Master, my apologies,"

"I need Erza Scarlett," The bulky man got back onto his feet. "Oh, my honey~!" He swooned when he caught sight of her.

"Ichiya…" The redhead pushed away from her desk.

"The school board is lacking staff at the moment, so we need you as a temporary replacement, men~." He inched his way closer.

"Wouldn't Master be better?" She pointed at Makarov who looked like he was off in lala Land.

"Don't put this on me." The master chimed as he scribbled on his desk with crayons.

"Master," Titania pleaded. "You'd be able to get the work done more efficiently." She lied through her teeth as desperation consumed her.

"Now, don't worry, my love. The work won't be too difficult." He took her hand in his.

Erza pulled from his grip and sprinted through the remains of the doorway shouting something along the lines of 'Fuck off, pervert'. Every had to feel bad as Ichiya pranced after her.

Mrs. Mann cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, I guess that solves things. Natsu, Lucy, you'll be a group of two now." She picked up her things and waddled towards the exit. "I'll go find someone to fix the door; try not to kill each other while I'm gone." With that, everyone started to get into their groups.

Lucy took the seat beside Natsu and pulled out her light pen to take notes. "Alright, how should we start this?" She faced him when he didn't bother replying. The usually rowdy teen was resting his head in the palm of his hand and staring at the window; a blank expression hiding any thoughts he could possibly have. She had only seen him like this once before, and honestly, it was a little scary. "Don't ignore me you idiot!' She smacked him upside the head.

"Jesus, Luce! That hurt…" He lost his words as he turned to face her. The way she was looking at him was unsettling. Her brown eyes looked at him playfully and a large smile was plastered on her face. He couldn't help but let out a stifled laugh at his friend's childish expression, she really was something else. "So, what were you sayin'?"

Lucy leaned forward and began writing in the air. He noticed she was using the pen he had gotten her for her birthday; he was fond of it because it matched his hair. "I was thinking we should start out with a rough draft to get the main idea. Then, we could add details to make it more interesting." She went on to talk about the importance of spell checking and what-not.

"Hmm?" He squinted at her writing. "Your handwriting sucks almost as bad as Mira's."

The blonde punched him in the arm, taking a great deal of offence. "You do it then," She grabbed his hand, catching him off guard for the millionth time that day. Lucy placed the pen between his fingers and sat back. He looked at her for a moment in confusion. "Well, write." She waved at him to go.

"Riiight…" He began adding his own scribbles next to hers. _God damn it, what's wrong with me? _Natsu cursed to himself.

( -_- )(*w*)

Natu's probably a little OOC, because he's not the type you'd usually use in a romance story. I'll try to keep them all the same, though. ^-^

The school uniforms are the same as in the Fairy Tail OVA's and the Academy is actually based off of Stadium High School (If you haven't seen it, you should look it up!). I first saw this school in the movie "Ten Things I hate about you".

Thank you who are bearing with me even though I'm still a beginner, I hope to keep continuing this story. :D


	3. You'd Be Cuter If

Alright, here it is. I hope you guys like it, and constructive criticism is always welcome. ^-^

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Fairy Tail, I wouldn't be writing a fanfiction about it.

( -_- )(*w*)

Shuffling papers and the constant tapping of a pen could be heard throughout the entire apartment. Lucy was plopped on living room floor, hunched over dozens of musty old books that reeked of mildew and decomposing paper. The novels were scattered atop a coffee table littered with copious pages of carelessly written notes and an overturned coffee mug that she didn't even know spilt. A frustrated sigh escaped the blonde's lips as she squinted at the distorted text in front of her. She had been up all night, desperately trying to complete the _many _assignments Mrs. Mann had so kindly given them.

Beside her, Natsu was lazily sprawled out on the floor. After classes had ended, he constantly begged her to go on a mission. _To her astonishment_- after firmly being told 'no'- he snuck in through the window to continue his harassment. Despite all the whining and pleading, he didn't bother to help her with the workload and instead gutted the fridge of all its contents, trashed her bathroom- she didn't want to know how- and set her couch on fire. Twice. Lucy glared down at him with irritation when he murmured incoherent nothings under his breath for the tenth time that night. His rosy hair was a tangled wreck and he was sprawled out on his back as if he had been knocked out during a battle. His uniform was a wrinkled disaster, and his shirt buttons weren't even in the right holes. Even so, he managed to maintain an idiotic grin throughout the entirety of the night.

"You know," Lucy exhaled deeply as she leaned against the couch with another book. "You'd be cuter if you weren't so obnoxious."

"You'd be cuter if you weren't such a weirdo." He retorted barely loud enough for her to hear. Natsu propped himself up on one elbow and wearily blinked the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at the clock in the kitchen to see it was only five in the morning. The Salamander turned to face the window with disgust; the sky was an eerie tint of blue and frost gathered on the glass in crystallized patterns. "Damn it, I hate waking up before noon…" He fell back to the floor with a thud and tugged his scarf over his eyes.

"If you fall asleep again, I'm not waking you up." She warned him while mindlessly picking at the corner of a yellowed page. As if trying to piss her off, his snores instantly filled the air. She slammed her book shut; forcing dust to escape the bindings in a puff. Without a second thought, the girl pelted the heavy novel at the Dragon Slayer's face.

Natsu let out a muffled grunt and tossed the object of assault to the side. "You're as mean as Erza, ya' know that?" He stumbled to his feet and made his way to the kitchen. He began to search the cupboards for something to eat, only to find that they had long since been cleared out.

"And you're as ignorant as Gray- maybe even worse." She shrugged.

Natsu knelt on the floor and waved off her comment as he continued rummaging through the cereal cabinet. "Don't compare me to that nudist bastard." Disappointment overcame him as he blankly stared at the one remaining box sitting in the back corner with a sheet of dust on it. "Geez, Luce, where'd all your food go…?" It was a known fact that the fire breather wasn't picky eater, but there was no way in hell he was going to enjoy a bowl full of stale 'Yum-O's'.

"You ate it all, remember?" Because of him and that damn Exceed, she was forced to survive off of take out and instant ramen noodles for the past month.

"I'm an honest man, Lucy Heartfilia, so believe me when I say this; I do not recall eating anything." He crossed his arms and continued to mentally burn a hole in the box with his gaze.

_Honest man, my ass. _Lucy sighed with defeat and got off the floor. She knew there was no chance in winning this conversation and tramped over to her disgruntled teammate. Natsu observed curiously as she rifled through a junk drawer. After a couple minutes of searching, she yanked out a small box and pressed it into his hands. "Here, you can use these."

He fixed his eyes on the cardboard container; it looked too small to be capable of providing a snack, let alone proper meal. "Hmm,"He sat down on the floor and observed it closer. "Matches…" Natsu sounded out the word on the box, but was clueless on how to use them. He shrugged passively and tore it open; causing multiple wooden sticks to scatter onto the tiles. He picked one up and his face filled with distaste. "How the _fuck_ do you to eat this?" Man, that box of Yum-O's was looking better and better.

"You out of all people should know what a match is, Natsu." He looked up at her and pouted like a cat having its fur brushed the wrong way. "Heck, I bet even Gray knows how to use them-"

As if on instinct to hearing his rival's name, Natsu grabbed the fire starters and stuffed them into his mouth. "Mmm…" His voice rang out with sarcasm. Lucy gaped at the boy before her, currently unsure of his mental stability. Everyone knew he was physically prone to doing idiotic things, but this was a new low. Even so, the Dragon Slayer's face beamed with victory; oblivious to the disapproving stares he was receiving. That is, until he tried _chewing _his food.

"Jeez, you look like you're on a train." The motion-sickness prone teen keeled over at the thought of transportation. "Oh god, don't puke on my floor!" She let out an exasperated cry and yanked on his scarf.

Natsu grasped her wrist in an attempt to regain his footing and sprang at the trash can, barbarically ripping the lip off in the process. After spitting the matches out like a child would with broccoli, he glared back a Lucy in disbelief. "I take back what I said before; you make Erza look like a saint."

Lucy felt a slight headache coming on, and this time, it wasn't from getting wasted. Grabbing an icepack from the freezer and pressing it on her aching temple, she turned on her heels and strode to the bathroom; deciding that the previous events never happened. "We should head out soon so we can meet up with the others before class." She called before slamming the door shut.

Natsu pulled out the Tasty O's and leisurely leaned over the counter. He took out a handful of the cereal, and other than the disturbing chewy texture, they weren't too horrible. To the average person, this won't be an ideal way to wake up. Having a book thrown at your head, being tricked into consuming horrid household items and resorting to out of date food for breakfast seems less than satisfactory to most, but for the fire breather, this was pretty much as normal as it got.

He became consumed in his thoughts as he continued to eat. Maybe it was just his instincts playing tricks on him, but something felt off. Was it some sort of holiday he forgot about, because that happens a lot? Maybe it's someone's birthday. No, it was something else. Perhaps today was the day he'd finally beat the shit out of Laxus in a one on one battle. Just imagining the lightening user bowing before him in defeat forced a demotic grin to stretch across his face. "Man that would hilarious!" He laughed with a mouth-full of cereal.

The rosette began to pace about the living room as he strategized his attack. He was so concentrated on planning his suicide mission that he didn't notice when his stellar friend returned.

Lucy couldn't fathom what the babbling idiot was thinking-which she had grown used to- but from where she was standing, he looked like he was choreographing some sort of new dance move. "That's it!" He shouted out of the blue, causing the blonde to jump back. He took another handful of cereal before continuing, slightly slurring his speech. "It's fool proof; I'll hide behind the door before class. When Laxus walks in, I'll jump out and before he knows what's happening, I'll-"

"Get slaughtered." Lucy added; her voice coated with a venomous layer of monotone.

Natsu's shoulders slumped when he looked back at his partner. "You're so mean."

"Yeah, yeah, I make Erza look like a priest-"

"Saint," He corrected.

"Whatever. Just finish getting ready so we can leave." She waved at him to hurry up.

"What're you talkin' about? I've been ready this whole time." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You're the one who's been making us wait."

Lucy scowled at him. Not only did she want to snap his finger off like a twig, but there was no way in Earth land or Edolas she was walking to school with someone looking like _that_. "You look more dressed up after a mission than you do right now." She gestured at the obviously misplaced buttons on his shirt.

"This is why vests are better- nothin' to button or tie." He grumbled as he fixed them. "Anything else, yer majesty?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets; indicating that he wanted to leave.

Ignoring his impatience, she searched for any other possible flaws. "Brush your hair."

"What? It looks fine." Natsu whined, deciding he was never going to ask a rhetorical question again.

Lucy let out a stifled laugh at his pathetic expression. "Are you serious? You have horrible bed head." _More like floor head. _She grasped his shirt collar and brought him to her eye level. "And your bangs are messed up; usually they stand up more…" She tried to brush them back, only to have them vale over his face again.

He looked away with slight irritation. "It does that on its own; I have no say in how my hair looks."

"Hmm…" She gently ran her hands through his hair; trying not to pull too hard. But to her surprise, her fingers slid effortlessly though it. Despite its spiky nature, his hair was silky and- "Soft…" She breathed out quietly.

"Hmm?"

"N-nothing," She quickly pulled her hands away. "You've been using my shampoo, haven't you?"

"Do you seriously think I want to smell like cucumber melon?" He stood up straight and reached for the door. "C'mon."

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you use the front door." She teased as she followed behind him.

"It's difficult to jump out of windows while eating cereal." He confessed.

"You sound like you're saying this from experience…" She locked the door behind them.

The Sky was painted a melancholy gray and fog blanketed the ground as the two walked down Strawberry Street. Lucy balanced along the river wall while Natsu put forth all of his energy to not pass out in the middle of the road. "This is so depressing." He adjusted his scarf.

Lucy peered up at the clouds. "The weather is so indecisive lately," She agreed as they continued walking. "The sky's been so bleak lately, and it's been raining on and off even since we've gotten back. It's almost like it's confused..." She rambled; unaware of the confused stare she was receiving from the Dragon Slayer.

"I say Juvia is just in a pissy mood."

"Seems like she's not the only one." She grumbled and quickened her pace.

He laughed and held up his cereal box. "Eat these; they'll make you feel better."

"No way, that's disgusting! Those have been in that cabinet since before I even moved into the apartment. Hell, they're probably as old as Master."

"You could have just said no."

( -_- )(*w*)

An awkward atmosphere consumed the room as the mages sat in silence and watched the intimidating redhead pace back and forth across the classroom. Her metal boots clanked angrily against the floor with each step, though no one knew why she was in her armor. Erza stopped in her tracks when the door opened to properly scold the two people who entered. "You're late."

"S-sorry," Lucy whispered and took a seat between Cana and Lisanna, the three girls exchanging exhausted glances.

"What's this about?" Natsu flopped on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "I could have slept an extra hour if it weren't for you."

Gray kicked him in the back, obviously not amused that flame-brain decided to sit his ass _right_ in front of him. "If you're trying to get yourself killed, do it somewhere else." He snarled.

Natsu glared at the exhibitionist behind him and threatened to light his shoelaces on fire- except for the fact he was barefoot. "I'll die wherever I want." He snapped back. The Ice Mage gaped at his 'friend', unsure of how to respond to such a self inflicting insult.

"Be quiet." Erza warned sternly. She quickly scanned the dimly-lit room before speaking again. "By the looks of it, everyone who received my message last night is accounted for."

Gajeel leaned back nonchalantly in his chair and scowled at her. "By message, do you mean that rock with a note tied on you threw through my window while I was sleeping?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Her eyes darted at the Iron Dragon Slayer irritably.

His eyebrows arched curiously. "Other than the fact that I have a huge-ass bruise on my head and the new window I have to pay for? Nope, everything's _fine._"

"Gajeel, knock it off." Levy tugged on his sleeve, gaining the metal-head her attention. Her lips were pursed into a small pout, making him decide it was best to stay quiet.

"That's good." She nodded; unaware of the obvious sarcasm the Dragon Slayer had just spewed. "Now, as to why you're here. You are all aware of the essay we have to write before Friday, correct?" The group let out collective groans at the mention of the project. "Good,"

Mirajane stood up and faced her Guild mates. "Erza was working with Ichiya-san and the rest of the staff last night, and they came up with an interesting idea." Erza nodded, with an approving smile painted on her lips. "Instead of only having a punishment for those who don't complete the assignment, they decided to make this more... entertaining." She smiled sweetly. "This will be a competition for the best grade."

"What?" Natsu jumped to his feet and grasped his head in horror. "There's no way in hell I'm going to win that!"

"With Natsu as a partner, I'm screwed…" Lucy sobbed.

"A MAN DOESN'T NEED GOOD GRADES!" Elfman roared, knocking his chair onto the ground in the process.

"Fuck this," Gajeel made his way to the door, with Levy desperately trying to drag him back.

"SIT." She hastily drew her sword.

"A-aye!" Natsu fell back onto the floor as Gajeel grabbed the closest chair, effectively shoving Macao off his seat.

Everyone cowered behind one another as the Titania swung her weapon dangerously while she spoke. "The Council is keeping a close eye on us, so who knows what they'll do if they find out we're slacking off." They all gawked at her as she dramatically sheathed the weapon. "You're all going to participate in this, whether you like it or not."

Wendy politely raised her to attract the Knight Mage's attention. "Um… What are we going to be doing, exactly?"

"Oh, yes of course. Each class has a specific topic they must write about and is divided into groups of two. However, most of us aren't even capable of writing our own names without having to think about it," She glanced over at Natsu, coaxing the group to let out a few stifled laughs, "so instead, we will be displaying our topics rather than reading about them."

"Displaying them?" Freed questioned.

"For example, if your topic was 'Making a rune', you would demonstrate writing one, not read directions about it to us." Mira chimed in. "But don't forget, the rule about those who fail to complete the assignment attending summer sessions still applies. Understand, Freed?" Her smile morphed into something more murderous.

"Y-yes," He grumbled, half of him wishing the barmaid hadn't been his selected partner.

"So, we have to act out our project, and if we fail to do so, we have summer school." Wakaba thought aloud. "But, what do we get if we win the highest grade?"

"Oh, I forgot!" Mira joyously clapped her hands together. "The winner, or should I say _winners_, will be given the privilege of early graduation."

"In other words, you'll get out of here before everyone else and not have to do homework. Anyways, class is about to start," Erza motioned at the clock. "Make sure to practice what you'll be doing, because I don't pass people who don't take their work seriously."

"Woah, w-wait," Gray stuttered. "_You're _grading us?"

"Don't worry- I'm sure you'll do fine!" Lisanna put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, with Juvia searing in rage behind them.

"We should go, Gray-sama." She clutched his arm and dragged him out of the room.

Lucy tapped Natsu's shoulder to grab his attention. "We should probably get going, too. We don't want to piss off Mrs. Mann again." He looked down at his blonde companion for a moment before grasping her hand and racing out of the room. Heat rose to her face when her fingers intertwined with his.

"Screw class, we're going to get a head start with our practice!" The rosette cheered as he dragged the stunned Celestial Mage down the hallway.

( -_- )(*w*)

Huzza! This is where I left off on my last account. I have half of the next chapter typed up, so it'll be up within the next week. Please leave a review letting me know what you think!

-Siearah


End file.
